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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. staff — employees
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — a skill
  6. march — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. march — the month
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ball — a dance
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com